Boat.



A. G. LE MEILLE.

BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.15. 1910.

Patented July 4,1911,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventor Attorneys A. G. LE MEILLE.

BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.15.1910.

Patented July 4, 1911.

2 BHBETS-BHEET 2.

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'AUGUSTE GEORGE'LE MEILLE, OF ATHENS, GEORGIA.

BOAT.

more particularly to mechanism for. propellO' ling the same.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide propelling means including screws extending practically throughout the length of the hull and which are mounted within and supported by said hull so as to be thus protected from injury and in no wise change the general appearanceof the boat compared withother boats built for high speed.

A further object is to provide propelling elements so constructed as to add to the buoyancy of the boat and thus reduce the power necessary to propel it at an even speed.

A further object is to provide propelling mechanism which is especially advantageous upon rough seas inasmuch as aportion of jacentportion either or both of the propelling elements is always submerged or partly submerged and the strain upon the boat and its engine is thus greatly reduced.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of the claims without departing from th spirit of the invention. a In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boat having the present improvements embodied therein, a portion of the hull being broken away. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the boat. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the of the boat being shown in side elevatlon. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the boat at a point between the ends thereof. Fig. 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a portion of one of the buoyant propelling elements. 1g. 6 is an enlarged I transverse.- section- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 15, 1910.

propelling mechanism, the adranged between Patented July 4, 1911. Serial No. 537,263.

through one side portion of the boat, the propeller being removed.

Referring to the,figures by characters of reference 1 designates the hull of the boat, the bow thereof being preferably shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so as to cut through the water and to thus be subjected to the minimum resistance. The hull is provided, within each side portionthereof, with a longitudinally extending cylindrical propeller casing 2, both ends of each casing being open. The lower dec; 3 of the boat is arranged above these casings and the space between the deck and the keel 4.- is

partly filled with braces, such as indicated at 5 and by means of which the hull structure is kept rigid and serves to fully protect the propeller casings from becoming crushed from any cause.

The front end of each of the propeller casings has a grating 6 extended thereacross and formed within the bottom of the hull at each side thereof is a longitudinally extending inlet opening 7 through which water is free to pass into the adjacent propeller casing 2. These longitudinal openings 7 have protecting screens 8 secured across them and, arranged at intervals across these openings are tie strips 9 which serve to hold the walls of the openings 7 in proper relation to each other under all conditions.

A propelling member is mounted for rotation within each of the casings 2 and extends longitudinally throughout the length thereof, each of these members including a hollow tapered core such as shown at 10 and two spiral blades 11 surrounding the core and extending from end to end thereof. Trunnions 12 project from the ends of the core and are mounted within. suitable-bear-- ings provided therefor, there being a sprocket 13 upon the rear trunnion of each propelling element and the two sprockets elng driven by. chains 14 receiving motion through sprockets 15 fromthe drive shaft 16 of the boat The mechanism utilized for transmitting motion to the propelling elements from the drive shaft is preferably arthe hull and the rudder 17 as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. Each of the cores 10 has an opening 18 in the rear or large end thereof and t is opening is normally closed, as by means of a screw cap 19. The trunnions 12 end portions of theshaft 20 extending cenmay be formed by thetrally through 'the core 10, there being spiders 21' at desired intervals within the core for reinforcing said core."

It is to be understood of course that when a boat is provided nism such as has beendescribed, all space below the deck 3 is practically useless except for housing he propelling mechanism. This, however, is not objectionable, inasmuch as the boats provided with the mechanism described are especially designed for high-speed passenger service or for use in warfare; I a 4 It will be apparent that when the propelling elements are rotated at a high speed water will be forced by them rear'wardly from the casings 2 and will enter said casings through the grated front openings and through the longitudinal openings 8. Be-

' cally throughoutthe length when cause of the culiar shape and arrangement of the prope lers, the boat will be operated with practicallyfiio vibration of the propellin elements and, as said elements utilize hol ow cores, they increase the buoyancy of the boat to a considerable extent and. thus reduce one of the obstacles to high speed.

As the propelling-elements extendrpractiof the hull, it will be apparent that shouldtheboat be rolled from'side to side or y direction of its length, a portion of either or both of said propelling elements will always be partly or entirely submerged and the resistance offered to the driving engine will bemaintained andsaid engine thus relievedto a very great extent from the strain to which engines are usually subjected through rough seas. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the propeller casings do not require with propelling mecha- ,tudinally exten g propeller casin hullof the boat at the si es therepitched in the driving the ordinary propeller wheels any considerabl e powerair resistance as they are fully. rotected from-all outside pressure by,the hu i By providing each ments with a normally closed orifice, said elements may beemptied .of any water which may ass thereinto as a result of leaks and which reduces the efiieiency of the p p ling elements as floats; .What is claimed is of the propelling ele- 1. The combination with aboat, of longitudinally extending propeller casings housed within the hull of t e boat at the sides thereof, said casings -having longitudinally .extending openings in the bottom thereof, the ends of the casings being open,'means-,e tending across the front and bottom openings for preventing the admission of-'foreign substances to the casings, and a propeller mounted for rotation in'each-casing. 2. The combinationwith a boat, of longi- Within the of and tapered toward their front ends, said casings bein open at their ends and having longitudinal yextending openings in the bottomithereof, means extending across the front and bottom openings for preventing the admission of? foreign substances to the casings, and a propeller mountedfor'rotation within each1of the casings, peller including a buoyantjtapered core and a spiral blade upon thecore. "i g p In testimony that I '1 the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailiiied my signature in the presence of two witnesses I luetsrn arenas LE meme.

Witnesses: WARREN J. SMITH,

CPAUL" H; SMITH.

housed each pro- 

